Author of the article
Alexander Georgievich Kondratiev
An electrical engineer by training, he worked as an electronics engineer, chief engineer at a food company, and general director of a construction organization.
It is difficult to find a house, apartment, garage or cottage that is not equipped with an electricity meter. According to the Government decree, from July 1, 2021, it is recommended to install new generation smart meters in Russia. Installing conventional appliances is not yet prohibited. And only from January 1, 2022, utilities will lose their choice: they will be able to install only smart meters. The replacement of electricity meters with new ones will occur gradually. This will not be done by residents, as before, but by energy workers.
What are smart meters
Such telemetry devices themselves transmit data to utility companies via the Internet. They can be integrated into any electricity metering system.
At the same time, smart electricity meters provide:
- Primary collection of information about consumed electricity.
- Accumulate and store data.
- Transmit information via communication channels to the energy supply organization. For this purpose, wired or wireless communication channels are used.
- They have the ability to cut off electricity to the consumer or limit consumption. This function is used for persistent defaulters.
- Transmission of operational information about the state of the network, the occurrence of an emergency or other malfunction.
- If there is a break-in attempt, failure, exposure to a magnetic field, or illegal connection, it automatically reports this to the dispatcher.
- Inform the owner about his outstanding payments;
- They remotely change the tariff plan according to a given algorithm.
What devices need to be replaced?
Important! Old appliances are not outlawed. Conventional electricity meters can work and their readings will be valid until they fail or until their official service life expires.
The owner must know under what conditions it is necessary to change the electricity meter. It is changed if:
- The service life has come to an end;
- The inter-verification period has ended;
- The meter is out of order.
Both individual electricity meters and communal electricity meters are subject to replacement. Starting from January 1, 2021, developers delivering new buildings are required to equip apartment buildings with individual and communal smart electricity metering devices (ISEM). For example, Phobos electricity meters.
Expired service life
Previously, all electric meters were induction; they served for 30 years, subject to regular verification every 10 years.
If the service life of the electric meter has expired, an employee of the inspection organization draws up a report and issues an order to replace the meter. Further operation of the device is not intended.
The verification period has come
If the verification period has come, you need to inform the organization supplying electricity. They will either carry out verification (at their own expense) or replace the meter.
The device is faulty
You can determine the failure of the electric meter visually. But this is only if it fails and the disk stops rotating.
You can also determine this by monthly payments. If there is a significant difference in payments for the same period, it means that the electricity meter is not working correctly.
If the meter breaks down, the owner must inform the sales organization as soon as possible. This must be done as quickly as possible, because if the inspector discovers this, the owner will be fined for theft of electricity. And it will be significant.
When dismantling the meter, the inspector draws up a report. It displays the nature of the malfunction, the condition of the device, the presence of mechanical influences, and whether the seals are damaged.
An order is issued to replace the meter. The utility companies themselves are obliged to change it.
Reasons for installing a new meter
The contract with the supplier must stipulate the reasons for replacing the meter. If the management company takes responsibility for maintaining the technical condition of the device, it must replace it at the end of its service life.
Also, the electric meter is changed if it gives inaccurate readings. Perhaps the supplier decided to upgrade the equipment and change the IPU to new models. For this reason, replacement can be carried out in a private house or apartment. Consumers are not required to pay for such work.
Who should change the meter and at whose expense
Until recently, the responsibility for replacing the electric meter rested with the owner. However, on July 1, 2021, Government Decree No. 554 of April 18, 2020 “On amendments to certain acts of the Government of the Russian Federation on improving the organization of electrical energy metering” came into force.
By law, energy companies are required to provide commercial metering of electricity in the retail market. The purchase, installation, replacement and commissioning must be carried out by company specialists at their own expense. It is free for the owner.
In case of installation of new equipment, it is recommended to install modern intelligent electricity metering devices. But not everything is so simple.
First of all, meters that have failed or whose service life has expired are subject to free replacement. In addition, owners who do not have electricity meters for one reason or another have the right to free installation of electricity meters.
At the same time, electric meters will be replaced with smart devices. Installation of such meters is beneficial for resource supply organizations. Therefore, the Government of the Russian Federation adopted the Federal Law No. 422 dated May 4, 2012, which stipulates who should pay for the acquisition, installation and commissioning of automated control systems.
- The law formulates the concepts of “intelligent accounting system” and defines how to understand “fully independent”, “automated” and “remote system”;
- The deadlines for the transition to an intelligent accounting system have been determined, which allows you to independently collect data and transmit it remotely to the dispatcher according to a specific schedule;
- The costs of technical re-equipment are borne by resource-supplying and supplying organizations. Moreover, expenses are prohibited from being included in tariffs;
- Provision is made for the gradual replacement of electricity meters as they fail, their service life expires, or the calibration interval expires. All new buildings put into operation must be equipped with smart electricity meters.
That is, service organizations are obliged to change the electricity meter in the apartment, entrance, or staircase themselves. At the same time, they should not worry whether a meter is installed in a privatized or non-privatized apartment or whether it provides electricity metering in a private house. The owner does not have to buy the device and pay for its installation.
Legislative basis
There is a list of legislative documents regulating the work; they determine who can install the meter and who is responsible for this electrical equipment. This list includes the Civil Code , Housing Code .
Government Decree No. 530 , signed on 08/31/26, Government Decree No. 491 , also concerns power supply issues . You also need to take into account Federal Law No. 261, which came into force on November 23, 2009.
ATTENTION! By law, the supplier or management company bears primary responsibility for the electricity supply. Their task is to establish a stable supply of electricity to the consumer.
The responsibility of the supplier and management company includes maintenance of electrical equipment, including electricity meters, monitoring of technical condition, inspection, and repair.
Algorithm of actions of the owner
If the deadline for the next verification has come, the service life has expired or the electricity meter is broken, the owner is obliged to contact the energy supply organization as soon as possible.
In this case, the owner must provide the following documents:
- Citizen's passport, which indicates the address at which the owner is registered;
- If initial installation is intended, the operator will require a title document for the apartment;
- If the application is not submitted by the owner, a power of attorney from the property owner will be required;
- An application is submitted to dismantle the old electric meter, it is considered no more than 7 days;
- A date is agreed upon for the arrival of an inspector who checks the integrity of the seals. After which an act is drawn up. It indicates the current readings of the device and the reason for dismantling. The meter can be removed by an inspector or an electrician from the supplier company. The work is carried out no later than 15 working days from the submission of the application;
- After which a new meter is installed;
- An act is drawn up indicating the surname, first name, patronymic of the owner, and residential address. Meter type, initial readings, readings of the old electric meter, reason for replacement, seal data.
It should be taken into account that drawing up an act is not the basis for calculating payments on the meter. The supplying organization is obliged to make changes to the supply agreement. The owner can learn about changes when receiving a receipt for electricity payment.
Features of self-installation of an electric meter
If residents of an ordinary or communal apartment decide to independently install a new meter inside their living space, they must fulfill a number of mandatory requirements:
- Only certain meter models are used for accounting; this issue needs to be clarified with the management company. The price of the device depends on the model; all purchase costs are borne by the consumer.
- After installation, you should definitely invite a representative of the management company or Energosbyt. He must seal the device, put it into operation, and draw up a commissioning report indicating the initial indicators.
- You can find out exactly how much electricity costs and how to calculate payments based on indicators.
ATTENTION! Based on the commissioning certificate, an agreement is drawn up with the electricity supplier. This document regulates issues of maintenance, inspections, and replacement.
Beware, scammers!
Not everyone understands the meaning and order of innovations. And scammers take advantage of this. They try to impose paid services on apartment owners.
Now the service organization notifies the owners in writing about the need to replace the old electric meter, which has reached the end of its service life, with a new one.
It’s easy to buy a database of owners with electric meter data on the Internet. Fraudsters call clients by manipulating laws. The main goal of scammers is to force the owner to change the device at his own expense.
They often go around apartments and, using intimidation with large fines, force them to change a working electric meter. Draw up a contract for the sale of an electric meter and services for its replacement. They take money. To install the seal, it is recommended to contact the energy sales service.
Remember: changing electricity meters is now required free of charge. If you are offered to buy a device and demand money, it means they are scammers.
It is impossible to sue for unauthorized actions of a third party. The owner signs contracts and pays for purchased equipment and services voluntarily.
If the owner is forced to provide a service to replace the electric meter, you need to call the organization and find out whether specialists have been sent to your address.
Necessity
Planned replacement of the electricity meter must be carried out by representatives of the organization supplying electricity. In some cases, the electric meter needs to be replaced ahead of the time specified in the regulations. This may occur due to outdated accuracy class indicators.
For new electrical appliances it should be 1.0, and for old ones the accuracy indicator should be 2.5. Such equipment must be replaced as it provides inaccurate data.
There is also an urgent need to replace electrical meters that are outdated or out of order. Old electric meters are not designed for the use of modern electrical appliances, since they cannot withstand significant loads.
Every year more and more electrical appliances are used in apartments of residential buildings, the transition resistance of which increases with prolonged use. This may cause wires to spark and short circuits to occur, resulting in a possible fire.
ATTENTION! Replacing outdated models of electric meters is required to ensure the safety of property and the lives of residents of the house.
Who is responsible for the safety of the meter and seals?
If electric meters are installed inside a residential or non-residential premises, responsibility for the safety of the device and seals rests with the owner of the property. This is determined by Government Decree No. 354 of 05/06/11.
And the safety of seals and meters located on staircase landings must be ensured by the organization involved in the operation of the housing stock.
What is determined by the Decree of the State Construction Committee of the Russian Federation No. 170 of September 23, 2003. Useful article? Rate and share with friends!
